Search - Maburaho (Vol. 1) + Series Box on DVD

WE WANT YOUR GENES!

Sesho | Pasadena, TX USA | 09/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In our world respect and social status depend on money. In the world of Maburaho, the commodity is magic. While everyone can perform it, people are divided by how powerful it is and, more importantly, for this series, HOW MANY TIMES you can use it! Someone like Kazuki Shikimori, who can only use his magic 8 times is seen as one of the lowest forms of life there is. So what is he doing at the exclusive Aoi Academy, where only the most powerful magic users are supposed to attend? The reason is that over 50 of the most powerful magicians who ever lived are his ancestors. Kazuki might not have a lot of power (or maybe he does?), but it is believed that his CHILDREN will have great power. So as soon as the girls at the school learn about it, they want to get into his jeans....I mean pass on his genes! Just around this time a girl named Yuna shows up in his room, claiming that she is his wife! And then there's the buxom blonde bombshell Kuriko who is pretty blunt about what she wants from Kazuki. Lastly, there's Rin, the samurai traditionalist who would rather slice him in half than marry such a weakling. There's also another catch. After Kazuki uses his magic 8 times, he dies!

Maburaho is a very funny show, and while it brims with sexual tension, it never gets right out obscene. It's a comedy so you just hope nothing tragic happens in the end or starts to bring in weighty issues. The Japanese voice acting is great and the animation is good. Much like Chrono Crusade, the humor is a little tempered by the fact that every time Kazuki uses his power, he gets closer to losing his life. The best extra on the disk is an interview with person who translated the series into English. He has a lot of insight into Japanese culture and the translation process. Also features openings/closings, Japanese promos, and art."

Looks Promising

Mark Kraska | Colorado | 04/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I run the anime club of my local college, and we are part of ADV's ADVocates program. They send us lots of free stuff, and last month they sent us the first two sample episodes of this series. Having viewed them both, this series does look promising.

At the Aoi Magic Academy, Kazuki Shikimori is the apparent loser of the group. The story is that all people have the inherent abitlity to use magic a certain number of times. The average for the school is around 8,000, though some characters exceed this number greatly. Kazuki is only able to use it 8 times, and after that point he literally will turn to dust.

However, despite that fact, he is quite powerful when he decides to use it. And even though he himself isn't that impressive, his bloodline is. Aware of this fact, three girls target Kazuki in order to gain his love (and his DNA). Yuuna Miyami seems to really love him, school hottie Kuriko Kazetsubaki seems to have more shallow intentions, and Rin Kamishiro would rather kill him instead (shes being forced by her family). Of course, after the nature of his bloodline is revealed, he instantly becomes more popular with all the girls in the school...and just the opposite occurs with the male half :D

I've heard good things about this, I'll probably buy it once this semester ends. This review is based on those first two episodes (I'm sure volume one contains at least 4). Gave it 4 stars because of that fact.

Acording to Anime News Network, the release date for Volume 2 will be 6/14 (day before quarterly taxes are due)."

A title that changed my opinion of a genre

Aaron C. Wade | Ann Arbor, MI | 09/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always been a fan of live action film. Only occasionally will I sit down to appreciate a comedic or adventuresome cartoon. To me, anime became popular if it involved the act of collecting and battling. It was not until one day I noticed some cover art for Maburaho that I was intrigued by this genre.

And I am pleased to say that this has altered my opinion of anime altogether. It wasn't the medium that I disliked, but the various plots that I had seen before that caused me to dismiss it.

The story revolves around a young adult named Kazuki Shikimori. He feels downtrodden because his magic count is depressingly low compared to his peers at a magic-user's school. Then one day he finds himself being sought after by three gorgeous classmates. Later he discovers that he is a critical heir in a long line of famous magicians, and that his children would most likely become extremely powerful magic users, thus the reason for his three tagalongs.

The show has great moments of comedy, tenderness and suspense. I watched the first four episodes and was pleasantly surprised. I can't wait to see how the rest of it turns out. I have high hopes for it though.

"

Full of charm

Alex G | 06/14/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you don't like heart warming, sappy, charming anime, then this isn't for you. There's a lot of cliche's here, but it's well put together. The characters are interesting and the plotlines are comedic and entertaining. I'll be watching this one often."